Automatic traffic signal



Nov. 13, 1928.

.1. 1'. WAYLAND ET A.

AUTOMATIC- TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed NOV. 14, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l Enl- Z /I ,f

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' 1,691,791 J. T. WAYLAND ET AL AUTOMATI C TRAFFI C S I GNAL Filed Nov. 141 1927 3 sheets-sheet 2 nvenow John ZT -WzyZan an 25m 707265) Nov. 13, 1928.

J. T. WAYLAND ET AL AUTMATIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 14, 1927 y/Zanc Jolies,

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Patented nov. 13,1928. UNITED STATES I v1,691,791 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. WAYLAND AND TOM D. JONES, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

appneatin inea November 14, i927. serial Naaai'zi.

Our invention relates to automatic traf v c signals and one object is to provide a signal of this character .which may be employed to advantage at the intersection of rural roads where electricity is not available for power and illuminating purposes, and with that end in view we-have provided a signal withA a self-contained lamp and a selfcon tained power mechanism.

In carrying out. our invention we employ a rotary element for Vdisplaying signalsin- 'dicating Gro, Neutral, Stop and Neutral, together with mechanism for intermittently driving said element so that the latter will pause during lsuitable intervals to better display the respective signals..

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now he had to the Fig. 1 is a broken side elevation partly in section of our automatic signal.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section oii line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3`is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a modification ofthe rotary signal element.

Fig. 5 is an irregular horizontal section ondl by any suitable means, but in the' drawings we have yshown a centrally disposed lamp line 5,-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig.. 6 is an irregular horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. n

In carrying out our invention we provide a casing 2 having a base 4 and a top 6. Access is had to the interior ofthe casing 2 through a door 8 which has openings equipped with lenses 10 and'12 arranged at right angles to each other as shown by Fig. 2. The upper portion of the casing 2 has openings equipped with lenses 14 and 16, the former of which is arranged. diametrically opposite to the lens 10 while the lens 16 is arranged diametrically opposite to the lens 12.

All of said lenses are arranged on the same horizontal plane.

18 designates a rotary table which is arranged within the casing 2 and carries a transparent signal element 2O which is located'ceiitrally between the lenses 10, 12, 14 and 16. The signal element 20 is of tubular form and may have any suitable cross sectional conf'iguration. In Fig. 1 we have shown said signal element 20 of circular configuration and vertically corrugated as disclosed by Fig. 2 and of octagonal configuration as shown by Fig. 4. The signal element 20 has an uneven surface in order to better reflect the light cast thereon from the headlights of approaching motor vehicles, in the event'the lamp hereinafter described should become extinguished. Any suitable Signals indicating Stop, Neutral, Go and Neutral may be formed upon the element 20, but in the present instance we prefer to indicate the signal Go with green, the Neutral with yellow, andthe Stop with red,` said colors being arranged to divide the element 20 lon gitudinally into eight equal parts, with two diametrically opposed green signals, two diametrically opposed red signals, .and two sets of diametrically opposed yellow signals. The colored portions are approximately equal in widthto the width of the lenses 10, 12, 14 and 16 and so related to each other Ithat when the green signals appear at say the lenses 10 and A14 the red signals will show through the lenses 12 and 16, while the four yellow signals will be hidden by the casing 2 and the door 8, and when the yellow signals appear at the four lenses the green and red signals will be hidden by the casing 2 and the door 8 so that there will be no confusion'of signals.

The signal element 20 may be illuminated 22 which may be either of the kerosene or acetylene type and provided with a. tank 24 adapted to rest upon a stationary shelf 26 mounted upon a stationary shaft 28 which is /secured at its lower end to a housing 30 fitting within the lower portion of the casing 2. In order to center the tank 24 upon the shelf 26 the latter projects upwardly into a recess 34 in the bottom the former.

The table 18 is rotated step by step by means (if a ratchet wheel 36 fixed to the under side thereof. Said ratchet wheel is proings 48 which travel ontop of the hous- I ing 30.

The pawl 38 is prevented from swinging away from the ratchet wheel .36 vby means of a downturned lug 5'0which engages the rear side of the lever 40. As the pawl 38 is carried backwardly out of engagement with one ratchet tooth it contacts a stop 41 and is caused thereby to swing into engagement I with the 4succeeding tooth preparatory to advancing thel ratchet wheel 36 one step.

The cam 44 is arranged to display the red and green signals through periods of equal duration, and the yellow signals during lesser intervals so that traffic will not be unduly delayed in waiting for said green or red signals to appear. This is accomplished by providing the cam 44 with shoulders 43 and 45, the latter of which may 'be adjusted towards or away from the former according to the duration desired of said lesser intervals. rIhe shoulder 45 is adjustably held upon the cam 44 by suitable means such as a screw 47 adapted to'be threaded into any of the holes 49 in said cam.

The cam 44 is fixedly mounted upon a shaft 52 journaled in the up er portion of the housin 30 and driven by a train of gears whic consists of a pinion 64, a small gear 80 intermeshing with said pinion 64, a large gear 54 fixed upon said gear 80, a

small gear 82 intermeshing with said gear 54, a large gear 84 fixed upon the small gear 82, a small gear 86 intermeshing with the the gear 88 and fixed upon the shaft 52. The foregoing ytrain is driven by a spring motor consisting, preferably, of a spiral spring 56 arranged within a drum 58 loosely mounted upon a shaft 60 -upon which the pinion 64 is iixedly mounted. The shaft 60 is journaled in the bottom of the housing and a partition 62 in the upper portion of said housing.

One'end of the spiral spring 56 is connected to the drum 58 and the other end to the shaft 60 and when run down said spring may be rewound with a set of worm gears consisting of aworm wheel 66 and a worm 68, which'latterv is fixedly mounted upon a shaft 70 adapted to be rotated with a crank,

not shown. The worm wheel 56'is fixedly.

mounted upon the top of the drum 58 and. coacts with the'worm 68 in locking said drum from rotation whilethe spring 56 is unwinding toy drive the gear train through the intermediary of the shaft 60. Asuitable escapementyis provided for regulating the speed of the gear train. In the present instance said escapement consists-of a balance-wheel 72, a hair 'spring 92, a small gear 94 fixed to the J' balance wheel 7 2, an anchor 96 for oscillatin said gear 94, and an escape-wheel 98 whicii is alternately engaged by the pallets of said anchor 96. The escape-wheel 98 has a small fixedly mounted gear 100 driven by a large gear 102 fixed upon a shaft 104 driven by the small gear 82. l As shown by Fig. 1 the housing 39 fits sus gear 84, a large gear 88 fixed upon the gear 86,'and a smalll gear 90 intermeshing with,`

Within the lower portion of the casing 2 and in the event that repairs or adjustments` to the driving mechanism are necessary said housing 30 may be removed through the door 8 after removal of the signal element 20 and the lamp 22.-

In the modied form disclosed by Fig. 4, the rotary signal element 2Oa is of hexagonal instead of circular shape and has two diametrically-opposed sides 20b for displaying the green signals, two diametrically-opposed sides 2Oc for displaying the red signals, two divametrically-opposed sides 20d for displaying two of the neutral signals, and two diametrically-.opposed sides 20e for displaying the other pair of neutral signals.

From the foregoing description itis apparent that we have provided a signal apparatus of the character described which is well adapted for the purpose intended, and 35 while we have shown a preferred form of the invention and a modification of the rotary signal element, we, reserve all rights to such other changes and modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of 90 the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a corrugated tubular signal element, a table upon which said signal element is mounted, and mechanism for rotating said table step by step.

2. In a device of the character described, a tubular element having signal colors indieating/Go, Neutral, Stop and Neutral, the same colors being diametrically-opposed, mechanism for rotating said element at intervals and including a cam, adjustable means mounted upon said cam for changing the length of the intervals, and a casing inclosing the tubular element and said mecha- `nism and provided with openings lthrough which the signal colors are successively displayed.

3. In a device of the character described, a transparent si nal element, a table upon which said signal element is mounted, mechanismfor rotating Lsaid table step by step, a shelf disposed above said table, and a lamp mounted upon said shelf and having a recess in its lower portion for y.the reception of the upper part of said shelf.

4. In 'a device of the character described, a tubular signal element, a table upon which said signal element is mounted, pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotating said table step by step, a cam having fixed andadjustable shoulders for actuating said pawl and ratchet mechanism, a train of gears for driving said cam, a shaft provided with a pinion for drivin said train of gears, a drum through whlch said shaft extends, aspiralspring enclosed within said drum and secured thereto and to said shaft, Worm a signal element, mechanism including a gearing whereby said drum may be rotated cam for rotating said element at intervals to Wind the spring, and a casing enclosing a member adjustably mounted upon said al1 of the aforementioned parts andl procam for varying the length of the intervals, 15

I vided with openings through which the 4and means for securing said member at any tubular signal element may be viewed. point of its adjustment.

5.' In a device of the character described, In testimony whereof We aiix our'signaa tubular signaI element having an uneven tures. g surface, and means for rotating said ele- 10 ment step by step. JOI-IN T. WAYLAND.

6. In a device of the character described, TOM D. JONES. 

